Airlock not 'bubbling'/fermentation not working?

[acrow]

Howdy all,
Just some advice if I can please.

I use the Coopers kit and put a brew down yesterday.

Coopers Draught with 1KG Coopers Dextrose (I usually use the enhancers, but on the Dextrose pack it said the 'preferred' , so thought I would try it - not sure if this now correct).

OG showed about 1.040 and is sitting in fridge at 21.7C

Today (24hrs later) and there is no movement in the airlock at all.

I decided to open lid and saw a white frothy look (so something has worked).

Once I went and came back with camera for photo, the airlock water had moved quite a bit, but not bubbling.

Took the below photo and came to write this, but went and had another look and airlock water had settled again (no movement).

I tightened lid even further (it was tight before though) and the airlock water moved, but not bubbling.

Is there something I should do to help the process or just wait?

Thanks.

 

[manticle]

That foamy **** is called krausen. It is evidence of yeast doing its thing. Google 'airlock not bubbling brew' and see how many hits you get.

Measure the brew with a hydrometer and you'll see it is likely less than 1040 now.

In short - don't worry, your brew is fine. Would you take a child's temperature with a plastic tube full of water? Airlock is not a scientific measuring device.

Put the lid back on and go and have a beer.

 

[acrow]

Thanks Manticle,
I did Google some but still wondered as I had use 'dextrose' before and wondered if this was affecting it.
My other brews has not had this 'symptom' before using enhances, so I just wasn't sure (as Google didn't really answer my specifics).
Thought the advice would be to wait, but still learning this stuff and now have knowledge for next time .
Thanks again for the peace of mind.

 

[WitWonder]

...Must....resist....urge....to....

Yes, for Christ's sake don't take the lid off - it's a great way to let bugs into your beer and ruin it.

 

[Bribie G]

You don't need to have an airlock, (edit, another good method is to use cling wrap over the fermenter opening, and hold it in place with the o ring out of the lid) but if you do then there's a reason it's not bubbling, and that is because the gas is sneaking out of the fermenter by another route.
Most plastic fermenters are actually "blown" in a mould that leaves a really rough top facing on the opening. If you run around that with a sharp Stanley knife / box cutter to get the facing smooth then it should seal up nicely against the rubber o ring and you will get all the gas going through the airlock.

edit: don't do that right now, just for next time. B)

 

[geneabovill]

You may have a cat stuck in your airlock.

Try planting catnip as far away from your fermenter as possible to coax the cat back out of the airlock.

Should work a treat!

 

[schrodinger]

You may have a cat stuck in your airlock.

Try planting catnip as far away from your fermenter as possible to coax the cat back out of the airlock.

Should work a treat!

I never thought of trying catnip. That's pretty clever.

 

[acrow]

...Must....resist....urge....to....

Yes, for Christ's sake don't take the lid off - it's a great way to let bugs into your beer and ruin it.

Yeah true (but no bugs, I sprayed with Mortein first

You don't need to have an airlock, (edit, another good method is to use cling wrap over the fermenter opening, and hold it in place with the o ring out of the lid) but if you do then there's a reason it's not bubbling, and that is because the gas is sneaking out of the fermenter by another route.
Most plastic fermenters are actually "blown" in a mould that leaves a really rough top facing on the opening. If you run around that with a sharp Stanley knife / box cutter to get the facing smooth then it should seal up nicely against the rubber o ring and you will get all the gas going through the airlock.

edit: don't do that right now, just for next time. B)

I have read how many use the cling wrap and I should try it at sometime but will look at smoothing the face also (although I've had no troubles before)

You may have a cat stuck in your airlock.

Try planting catnip as far away from your fermenter as possible to coax the cat back out of the airlock.

Should work a treat!

huh?

 

[sp0rk]

Kittens in the airlock, old AHB joke

 

[TimT]

Kittens in the airlock is probably a sign you've done something wrong. But I don't imagine they'd taste good in a beer anyway. Too furry.

 

[TimT]

Mmm, delicious kitten...

http://youtu.be/uvOTWb9fpN8

 

[QldKev]

It could just be a broken airlock?

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Maybe the kitten needs to be strangled first as an object lesson

 

[geneabovill]

Yeah, that'll teach those yeasties to have sex and eat sugar.

 

[TimT]

Do yeast have sex? Are we brewers running some kind of.... permanent fungal orgy?

 

[geneabovill]

I believe so. Make sure to keep tissues handy if you plan on watching them go at it - a clean brewing area is a MUST.

 

[squirt in the turns]